Rotary cement-kiln.



No 775,600. PATENTED NOV. 22'. 1904. T. A. EDISON. ROTARY CEMENT KILN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- Inventor Attorney .4 0 9 l 2 2 O N D E ,T N E T A P N T m N T mm M A YTR A T 0 R 0 4 O 6 5 7 7 0 .N

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1903.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.NO MODEL.

0 I11 wan to? KW mp0) Witnesses Attorney UNITED STATES Patented November22, 1904.

THOMAS A. EDISON, OF LLEWELLYN PARKQNEVVJERSEY,

ROTARY CEMEN -Kim.

SIPECIITIOA'JFJEQLT forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,600, datedNovember 22, 1904.

Application filed July 22, 1903. Serial No- 166,519. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. EDISON, of Llewellyn Park, Orange, in thecounty of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvementsin Rotary Cement-Kilns, (Case No. 1,10%) of which the following isadescription.

Prior to my work in connection with the manufacture of Portland cementthe Portlandcement mixture has been, and in most cases still is,calcined in rotary kilns about sixty feet in length and heated by meansof pulverized coal. As the material progresses slowly through the kilntoward the zone of highest heat it first becomes very viscous; but asthe chemical reactions progress it is converted into the usual hardclinker-balls of varying sizes. Although the meltingpoint of thematerial in this latter condition is much higher than when the materialis introduced into the kiln, yet in the hottest portions of theclinkering zone the clinker-balls become more or less sticky on theirsurfaces and tend to form into balls or masses of large size. When thematerial leaves the extremely-hot clinkering zone, it is subjected to avery rapid reduction in temperature, and this chilling of the massfrequently results in the formation of a coherent. ring extendingcompletely around the kiln and sticking to the lining thereof, whichring tends to grow in size by accretion of the rapidly-coolingclinker-balls. As soon as one of these rings forms in the kiln betweenthe clinkering zone proper and the lower discharge end the large ballsor masses referred to are obstructed in their passage through the kiln,and the latter tends to become clogged up,so as to thereby materiallyinterfere with the proper operation. Consequently the-aim has been tobreak up the aggregates referred to before allowing them to reach anobjectionably large size, and this has been usually accomplished bybreaking the masses with long steel or iron bars operated by-manuallabor. This operation has been necessarily slow and expensive, and,owing to the enormous heat, an iron or steel bar will be softened andrendered worthless in about fifteen seconds, more or less.

With my new cement-kiln I make use of a structure approximately two andone-half times the length of the kilns now used, and in consequence thezone in which the mass forms into aggregates is proportionately removedfrom the lower end, so as to make it in many cases practicallyimpossibleto break up any of such coherent masses by any of theexpedients as now employed.

to provide a kiln, or rather attachments thereto, by which anyaggregates or masses of material can be effectively broken up, no matterhow far their formation may take place from the lower end, and at thesame time this operation will be performed much more expeditiously thanheretofore and with resulting economies and improvements inllIllfOIlDlliY of burning.

To this end the invention consists in combining or making use, inconnection with a rotary cement-kiln, of a gun of simple constructionoperated -either by compressed air or steam and by which a suitableprojectilecation, in which.

Figure 1 1s a sectional vlew ofthe rear end jection-nozzles' as proposedby me and showing one form of, gun adapted particularly for use'withsteam as the source of pressure; Fig. 2, a separate sectidnal viewshowing the rear portion of the gun; Fig. 3, a section on the The objectof my invention, therefore, is.

panying drawings, forming part of this specifis of a rotary cement-kilnhaving a pair ofpro-.

line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the rear portion of thegun, showing the trigger mechanism; Fig. 5, aside elevation, partly insection, of another and preferred form for use with compressed air; Fig.6, a separate elevation of the gun-imber for receiving the recoil, andFig. 7 a horizontal sectional view of the breech mechanism.

In all of the above views corresponding parts are represented by thesame referencenumerals.

The kiln 1 is a long rotating tubular furnace lined with fire-brick andopening at its lower end into a stationary chamber 2, into which theburned clinker is discharged. "The pulverized fuel is supplied bynozzles 33, extending through an opening 4 and manipulated from aplatform 5. On this platform I mount the gun, two forms of which areshown. With theform shownin Figs. 1 to 4 the barrel 6 is carried onwheels 7, like an ordinary field-piece, and is provided with a swingingbreech-block 8,-having a packing 9 and adapted to be locked in a closedposition by a camlatch 10. Cast integrally with the gun-barrel near itsrear end is a valve-chamber 11, in which is mounted a plug-valve 12,which is adapted toconnect the inlet'13 with the passage 14, leadinginto the bore. A nipple is formed on the valve-chamber, as shown, andwith which a steam-pipe or compressed-air pipe may connect. The shaft 15of the valve is provided with a lever 16, by which the valve may bemoved to its closed position, being then locked by a trigger 17. Whenthe Valve is released, a spring 18 moves it to its open position, suchmovement being limited by a shoulder 19 engaging a stop 20. Theprojectile 21, formed, preferably, of molded neat cement, is introducedinto the gun-bore, and the breech-block 8 is closed. The gun is nowaimed at the desired object, and the trigger 17 being released the valvewill open and the fluid-pressure will drive the projectile at highvelocity against the forming mass, so as to break it up. The valve isthen closed, and the gun will be ready for operation when desired.

The form of gun just described is desirable when steam is used as asource of pressure. \Vhen, however, compressed air is employed, itpreferable to make use of a storagereservoir holding enough air for asingle shot, as in this way the gun is more portable, since a constanthose connection is not necessary, and it is also more economical, sincethere will be no waste of pressureeven if .the valve is allowed toremain open; Such an arrangement is shown in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive.Here the gun 6 is mounted on a light carriage.22, supported on wheels23, a limber 24, having a toothed foot, being used to prevent recoil.The breech-block is of the interrupted-thread type common on navalpieces and needs no description. The valve,mechanism may be the same aswith the form previously explained. I arrange, however, in advance ofthe valve a, chamber 25, having a hose connection 26 and a cut-off valve27. With this form a charge of compressed air is introduced into thechamber 25, after which the hose connection may be removed, if desired.When the trigger is released, the compressed air in the tank 25 willshoot the projectile from the gun, as will be understood.-

It will of course be understood that any form of gun suitable for thepurpose may be used in connection with rotary kilns withthe object inview of breaking up any forming aggregates of material, although forpractical purposes the Very simple forms described are entirelysatisfactory. It isdesirable that the gun should be operated by steam orcompressed air, since both sources of pressure are available; but ofcourse other sources of high pressure may be used, including explosives.

Having now described my invention, what I-claim as new therein, LettersPatent, is

1. The combination with a rotary cementkiln of a gun mounted near theopen end thereof, and adapted to throw a projectile into the kiln forthe purpose of breaking up any forming aggregates of material,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a rotary cementkiln of a compressed-air gunmounted near the open end thereof, and adapted to throw a projectileinto the kiln for the purpose of breaking up any forming aggregates ofmaterial, substantially asset forth.

3. In the art of breaking up aggregates or masses of material forming inrotary cementkilns, the improvement which consists in throwing intocontact with'themasses or aggregates a compact projectile traveling at ahigh velocity, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. Inthe art of breaking up aggregates'or masses of material forming inrotary cementkilns the improvement which consists in .throwing intocontact with the masses or aggregates a projectile of molded cement,trav' eling at a high velocity, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5. The combination with a rotary cementkiln and a stationary chamberwith which the kiln connects, of-a gun mounted behind said chamber, andadapted to throw a projectile through an opening in the wall thereofinto the kiln for the purpose of breaking up any aggregates or masses ofmaterial forming therein, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a rotary cementkiln, a stationary chamber withwhich the kiln connects and a fuel-supply nozzle projecting and desireto secure by This specifi atien si :ned and witnessed this 20th day of July, 19(

THOMAS A. EDISON.

Witnesses:

FRANK L. DYER, WILLIAM A. DOLA

